Two recent DIY finds

In the last few weeks I’ve made two DIY products that were very easy to make and have been working great, so I wanted to share.

First is an olive oil and sugar scrub. This winter my skin has been super dry, so I wanted to have something in the shower to exfoliate now and then. In the past I’ve bought these, which are wonderful – but I don’t always want to splurge on something I know I can make at home. So, following the ratio here, I whipped up a small batch to try, using 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup olive oil, with a few drops of peppermint essential oil. It’s worked great, but just be careful not to get too much water in the jar while you’re using it – the water will dissolve the sugar and then it is less scrubby. Note also that it will make your tub really slippery, so be careful if you don’t have a non-slip shower mat. In the future I’d like to try this with some lemon essential oil.

Next is a glass and mirror cleaner. The entire outside wall of my living room is glass, and the doors of my nice big bedroom closet are mirrors, and so the streaks from using a regular cleaning rag and all purpose cleaner were really driving me nuts. I knew I could use a vinegar and water solution for this, and after poking around online to find the ratio, I eventually made one with white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, cornstarch and water. Combined with a microfiber cloth I picked up, it did a great job on the balcony windows, removing both regular dust and dirt accumulation, plus sticky nephew handprints. Same on the mirrors. It does smell vinegary, but I found it wasn’t too strong and it dissipated quickly.